Lauren Cohan dolls up for creepy The Boy trailer

It may have the same title as this year’s festival hit The Boy, a psycho-drama about a kid obsessed with death, but these two movies couldn’t be further apart. What they do have in common, however, is they’re both about a boy… except this one is a life-sized doll helping a family cope with the death of their actual son. While the last doll we saw on screen was a massive disappointment (I’m looking at you, Annabelle) this one looks rightfully terrifying and stars the amazingly talented Lauren Cohan, who stars in a show you may you have heard of—The Walking Dead.

I first caught wind of this one quite a few months ago and was intrigued not only by the notion of seeing Cohan in a feature length film (a horror one at that!), but the premise alone is so simple and creepy that I knew it was going to be one to gain some traction in the horror community. The film, directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside, Wer), has premiered its trailer and it leaves quite the first impression. For starters, that doll is shitty-pants creepy and the fact that this poor girl, who has to babysit it, has to follow rules as if it were a real, breathing human has my skin crawling right off my bones. Worst babysitting job ever.

The Boy is due to hit theaters next year on January 22, 2016!

Greta is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village, only to discover that the family’s 8-year-old is a life-sized doll that the parents care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their actual son 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta’s worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

These are the films that have all the potential to be great, but can also turn into a disaster. I hope this one is executed properly b/c if it is, it could be a horror classic. The doll is as fascinating as it is creepy. Here’s to hoping!